The New Year
by TheCivilState
Summary: "You seem familiar," Stefan said, "Do I know you?"  "Not really," she admitted, "You did, however, kill me in 1923."
1. Chapter 1

_This one's for the lonely_

_The ones that seek and find_

"Who are you?" The woman- _girl, was more appropriate- _sat on the floor by the fireplace with her legs crossed beneath her. She seemed unconcerned by Stefan who stood in the doorway, hesitant at the presence of the impish individual with auburn hair styled in a way that brought to mind the Roaring Twenties. Or the Ripper Twenties, in Stefan's personalized timeline.

"Elise," she said, lilting voice both girlishly light and quietly solemn. A child with an old soul and wide, mossy green eyes that observed him calmly. She was entirely unconcerned by the fact she had intruded into the home of a vampire currently coming down from a ripper binge.

"You seem familiar," Stefan said, "Do I know you?"

"Not really," she admitted, standing and allowing her pale gray sundress to float about her knees, "You did, however, kill me in 1923." She smiled then, a dazzling smile that made Stefan's stomach do a backflip. He remembered her now. Elise LaGrange of Chicago by way of Boston and New Orleans. Sixteen and impossibly dreamy with dresses that grazed her knees. Her family and moved from Paris the year before she'd been born and she always spoke of the country she'd never seen with a fondness that had captured Stefan's attention. But when they met in 1922, he hadn't been polite Stefan Salvatore who tipped his hat and held the door open for ladies before escorting them home. He'd been Ripper Stefan who murdered men and women in back alleyways and cars and sometimes tore their bodies to pieces.

"How did you survive?" She stepped around the couch, just as light on her feet as always, and touched the palm of his right hand. One pale finger traced the length of her thumb and her eyes softened as she was transported to a different place and time. It was the transformation that always occurred when she had spoken of Paris, it's lights and the beautiful people who danced in them.

"I bit your hand," she said, "Remember?" Stefan looked down at his palm and for a moment he could clearly see the delicate bite she had caused after he clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her into an alleyway. An alleyway where he drained her and left her for dead. To think the drop of blood she pulled from his body had been enough to save her.

"I'm sorry," he said, but she stopped him, mossy eyes bright and smile situated on her face. Elise had always been the happy sort.

"Don't be," she said, "I went to Paris. Rome. Istanbul. I saw more of the world than I could ever dream and it's all because of you."

"I killed you." She sighed, a mere whisper as her smile melted into a pout as she did her best to frown. Her lips would never cooperate though and Stefan recalled teasing her on more than one occasion.

"Yes," she said, "You did kill me. You killed me and left me in an alleyway and completely ruined my dress. That was my favorite dress, I'll have you know. So if you'd like to continue apologizing, you can start with buying me a new dress. And then you can take me dancing like you promised."

The corner of his mouth quirked up and hers screwed up as she tried not to grin. She had won and she knew it because it was a rare occasion where Elise LaGrange did not get what she wanted. Especially when it came to Stefan Salvatore. He'd always been especially doting and fond of her.

"You remember that?" She grinned then, that radiant smile that had always made Stefan pause. He had known Elise before Klaus and Rebekah and while the Original duo had never understood his affection towards the young human, they had respected his request that she be left alone. To think he protected her against the Originals only to kill her himself.

"Apparently," she said, "A vampire never forgets. But you forgot about me, so I suppose that is not true." She shrugged, a delicate raise of the shoulder before stepping around him. He clutched her arm, fingers resting featherlight at the crook of her elbow in an attempt to tether her to the moment for just a little bit longer. Elise paused because she'd never wanted to escape Stefan and that realization caused him to clutch at her just a little harder. Maybe if he held onto her, he wouldn't be the one to runaway.

"I still owe you a dance," he said. He was rewarded with a smile and for just a moment, everything was alright in the world again.

**a/n: **Just wanted to say that the lyrics in italics at the beginning of every chapter are from the song "Comes and Goes" by Greg Laswell. There's only about eight or nine parts to this story, so we'll be done in no time. As always, fave, flame, or faint.

oxox.


	2. Chapter 2

_This one's for the torn down_

_The experts at the fall_

"Stefan, stop!" Elise darted around the corner of the bar and grill the younger Salvatore said he would meet her at, only to find said Salvatore dropping the body of a woman to the ground as a man with blues eyes and a girl with mile long lashes stared at him. Elise, all adorable charm and disarming qualities stepped in between the ripper and the onlookers and flashed them all her most polite smile.

"It's alright," she assured the duo who were looking over her shoulder to stare at Stefan with his bloodied chin and dark eyes, "I promise I'll take care of it. The girl will be fine and Stefan will be too. You'll see." The girl with dreamy eyes focused on the imp before her and tried to trust the stranger before her. But she could not, so it was the man beside her who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her away.

"It's okay Elena," the man promised, "She'll take care of it."

"But Damon, how do you know?" The blue eyed man shook his head and continued to lead her away until Elise was left in the dark alleyway with ripper Stefan and a body that was steadily losing life. She flashed to the woman's side and bit her wrist, feeding the human girl blood until the gruesome neck wound began to heal. A miracle Stefan hadn't severed her head.

"You do have a penchant for murdering girls in alleyways," Elise said, looking up at Stefan who was staring unseeing at the brick wall that composed the back wall of the bar and grill they were supposed to be inside of. Once again their plans fell through. It was essentially the tone of their relationship.

"Alright sweet," she said, turning her attention from the ripper and to his victim, "You were at the bar drinking and just needed to get some fresh air so you came back here. But you're feeling alright now, so you're going to call a cab and head home, yeah?" The girl, blonde and glazed eyes, nodded and rose to her feet with Elise's assistance before disappearing from the alley without a backwards glance. Once she was clear, Elise turned her attention to the ripper who still found the brick wall to be fascinating.

"Stefan?" She ran her hands along his arms before shifting around so she stood between him and the wall. Her fingers stroked the skin along his neck before cradling his face, her thumb swiping away the blood that dribbled on his chin. She licked the blood of her finger and her eyes darkened as the taste overwhelmed her senses.

"Think of something else," she coached, "Think of your childhood, or Rebekah, or Katherine." His eyes flashed and his tongue traced his lips, lapping up the taste of the blood that still lingered there. Elise tugged his head down, but his eyes remained glazed over and unseeing. He was lost in himself and she had never been the sort of pull him back. That had always been reserved for Alexia. But she wasn't here and Elise was and Stefan needed to be pulled back to the present.

She rose on her toes and pressed her lips against his, her eyes darkening as the taste of blood overwhelmed the kiss. There was a deep and heavy sigh before Stefan's hands came to rest on her hips and Elise found herself being pressed into the wall as his lips followed. His hands skimmed the length of her body before his fingers tangled in her hair, ruining her curls as he held her close and the kiss deepened. But then, as though a lightbulb went off, Stefan recoiled from Elise and tried to pull himself together as another round of disappointment and shame washed over him.

"Don't," she said, unnecessarily breathless, "Don't say I'm too young, that it's wrong, or that my father wouldn't approve. Your arguments have been invalid for about eighty years, Stefan. Don't push me away this time."

"I can't," he whispered, eyes watering when she stepped forward and held his head between hands too small and delicate to tame a monster. Her lips were stained with blood from their kiss and he vividly remembered the last time she'd kissed him. It was New Year's Eve and he'd responded with killing her a few short hours later. Such an incident would be enough to send any sane person running from him.

"You can't hurt me Stefan," she reasoned and his hand came to rest around her neck as he thought of how easy it would be to rip her head from her body. He was older than her, therefore he'd always be stronger and they both knew how easily he could harm her. She just needed him to believe the delusion he was not a monster long enough to make it a reality.

"Go home, Elise," he said, pulling away, "There's nothing for you here."

"You're here!" she called after him, "And that's more than I have anywhere else. My home was with Alexia, Stefan. I don't have anywhere else to go." He turned back and for a moment he wasn't ripper Stefan or Rebekah's Stefan or Katherine's Stefan. He was just Stefan Salvatore, the compassionate soul who'd been turned into a vampire much too young. Same as her.

"Find somewhere," he told her. And then he was gone.

**a/n: **What do you think? Fave, flame, or faint.

oxox


	3. Chapter 3

_This ones for the faithless_

_The ones that are surprised_

"I hear Elise is in town." Stefan entered his home to find Klaus sitting on the sofa with a glass of bourbon in hand. With his siblings awake and running around, Klaus no longer had a weakness for Stefan to exploit, so the younger vampire was wary as he stepped into the room and poured himself a drink.

"She was quite adorable when she was transitioning," the Original remarked, "You can thank me for that. Without my assistance, she wouldn't be here." Stefan resisted the urge to throw his glass at Klaus' head, knowing the Original would merely dodge it before ripping out his heart.

"I didn't know you were still in Chicago then," the Salvatore commented and Klaus smiled, tipping his glass when Stefan joined him on the sofa.

"It was just after I compelled you," he said, "I was getting the coffins out of the city and stumbled across a very wild-eyed Elise who was trying to comprehend how you'd killed her. Normally, I'd of let her die, but one of Elijah's creations was going through that phase where her and her mate wanted children. So a little blood in Elise's system and I dropped her with Lexi and Lee. Figured a newborn vampire was just as good as a child. Both are so needy."

Stefan growled and Klaus raised his glass in a faux surrendering gesture. They both knew who the dominant one in the room was, but they were both waiting to see who would lose their cool first. With the bloodlust pounding in Stefan's system, he had a feeling it would be him.

"You didn't know," Klaus said, noticing the solemn look on his old friend's face, "Lexi never told you." Stefan shook his head, having never known that it had been Lexi to care for Elise. Elise, who had been his mistake.

"Elise has always been fond of you," the Original remarked as he stood, "And if I recall correctly, you were rather affectionate towards her. Perhaps you shouldn't push her away this time."

"Why?" At Stefan's question, Klaus paused in the doorway and turned back to the young vampire who had the misfortune of being played by the Petrova dopplegangers. What a change it would be if someone could escape those brown eyed girls.

"You were a brother to me once," Klaus said, "And yet you cared for Elise more than you did for me or my sister. I know I'm the bad guy, but that doesn't make me a complete ass. I'd like to see you happy, Stefan. If anyone deserves it, it's you."

**a/n: **A shorty, I know. Fave, flame, faint.

oxox.


	4. Chapter 4

_They are only where they are now_

_Regardless of their fight_

"Stefan?" The Salvatore in question looked up to see Elena, wide eyes and hesitant smile, taking in the glass filled with blood he'd been sipping on for the last hour. He tried to smile, to somehow compel her to go back to the time when they first met when things were happy and easy and he wasn't some monster. But he couldn't compel her to think like that and even if he could, he knew he wouldn't. She needed to know the truth and even if that truth sent her running from him, he found himself accepting of that reality. He wasn't frightened of being left alone anymore.

"Damon said you quit," she said, stepping further into the room, but still keeping a safe distance. He noticed, the way he always did, and the fact she mentioned his brother didn't go unnoticed either. He imagined a normal man would feel anger, but he wasn't normal and if he thought about it, he wasn't a man either. He was an eternal teenager who failed constantly at being a vampire. Far, far from normal.

"I thought I might try again," he said, "Maybe I'll be able to control it this time." Elena looked unsure, a state she seemed to be quite often lately, but he didn't pay any mind. It was his brother's job to look after her now and while that made him sound heartless to certain people, he knew it was what needed to happen. He needed to escape the dopplegangers the way Klaus had.

"Does it have anything to do with that girl?" Elena asked. She didn't elaborate on what girl because doing so would require revisiting the night his control snapped and he almost decapitated an innocent woman. The night Elise had been there to save him. The night Elise had kissed him and he'd shoved her away. He was always pushing her away and only now was he starting to wonder what his life would be if he pulled her close.

"Elise," he said, name rolling off his tongue like the most familiar thing, "We met in Chicago. I accidentally turned her into a vampire and Lexi took care of her." It was unnecessary, telling Elena about Elise's origins, but she needed to know. She needed to know and he needed to confess aloud to someone the terrible crime he'd committed. While Elena would no longer play a romantic role in his life, she could be his priest for the time being.

"She knew you when you were a ripper," Elena stated and Stefan shook his head.

"She never knew what I was," he said, "I couldn't do that to her."

"So what happened?" Bravery struck Elena and she joined him on the sofa, hands folding over her knees as she watch him process the events of that fateful New Year's Eve.

"I lost it," he said, "I lost it and I killed her and I have no idea how she can forgive me."

**a/n: **Guess what's next? Mini flashback. What? You guys said you wanted something multi-chaptered. You never said the chapters had to be long. But still, fave, flame, or faint.

oxox


	5. Chapter 5

_This one's for believing_

_If only for it's sake_

_-Chicago, New Year's Eve, 1922-_

"Stefan!" Elise's arms hooked around his neck and he held her close, waving Gloria away who raised an disapproving brow at the sixteen year old girl standing in her club. Sure she was selling alcohol illegally, but Gloria still didn't want some young thing running about and getting herself into trouble.

"You promised me a dance," Elise whispered into Stefan's ear before pulling away and smiling at the other occupants of his table.

"Rebekah, Nik," she greeted, "Happy New Year's Eve." Rebekah ignored the sentiment but Nik smiled, tipping his glass in salute to Elise who beamed even more. She was absolutely fetching in her champagne and raspberry colored gown and both Stefan and Nik noticed the male eyes roaming her body throughout the club. Stefan pulled her away from the table, arm threaded through hers as he led her out the back and into the chilly winter alley that was vacant this time of night.

"You shouldn't be here, Lissy," he reprimanded, shrugging his coat off and placing it about her shoulders when she shivered, "Go home. Your father is no doubt wondering where you are."

"Stop it!" she said, "Stop talking about my father and saying I'm a child. I'm not a child, Stefan. I know what I want." To punctuate her statement, she hooked her arms about his neck once more and crashed her lips to his in an awkward, sloppy, and desperate kiss. It didn't take Stefan long to shove her away and she crashed into the brick wall behind her, whimpering when her head collided with the stone.

"Elise, I'm sorry," he said, coming to her aid, but she shoved him away and glared as her eyes began to smart.

"Stop it Stefan, just stop! You can't do this to me anymore. You can't pull me close and then push me away. You're not that cruel." The beast within him snapped and roared to the surface and he knew it the moment Elise's eyes widened that he was about to do something regrettable.

"Stefan?" she whispered before he lunged and grabbed her, hand smothering her scream as he savagely tore into her neck. The memory of that night was forever stained with scarlet and when he returned to the club, Rebekah chastised him for wearing his dinner before wooden bullets rained down on them and life changed.

Somewhere, a clock struck midnight and the city erupted with celebration.

**a/n: **Yep. Almost done. And just in case anyone is freaking out about Elise being so young and Stefan not being so young, if you do recall, he does refer to himself as the eternal teenager on the show. While Paul Wesley is by no means a teenager, I'm playing off the teenager aspect for this story. So yeah. Just keep telling yourself he's a minor.

oxox


	6. Chapter 6

_And this part was for her_

_This part was for her_

_This part was for her_

_Does she remember?_

Stefan didn't get the chance to knock before the door to Elise's hotel room swung open and there she stood, hopelessly tousled hair and eyes just a bit sleepier than usual. She smiled, a quirk of the lips as she welcomed him in.

"I brought you a dress," he said, handing off the garment box to her. She kicked the door closed with a little trill of glee as she shoved him into the nearest chair and tore open the box. The dress sparkled in the dim light of the room and she twirled, holding it to her body as she imagined what it would look like on.

"Put it on," Stefan said, meandering over to the stereo system. He heard her clothes hit the floor and kept his eyes averted. Lexi's modesty had dissipated steadily over the last few decades and it was no surprise Elise had taken after a woman who, if Klaus was to be believed, had become her surrogate mother.

"You never told me about Lexi," he said as he browsed the cd's Elise had opted to bring with her. There was a silent pause broken only by the ruffling of fabric before she spoke.

"It never really came up," she said, "And besides, I figured if you never came looking for me, you'd forgotten and there was no reason for her to bring me up. So I asked she never mention me."

"I thought you were dead," he argued, but Elise was already there with a retort.

"I attended my own funeral and you didn't show." It was true, he hadn't gone. After the attack on the club, Stefan had fled into the night without a backwards glance or second thought. He'd never stopped to think of Elise and yet her presence still had a profound effect on him. To think he'd forgotten her.

"Well," she said, "What do you think?" The low, sultry tones of music that brought to mind the era they met filled the room as Stefan turned to take in Elise's appearance. The dress was perfection and with her otherwise tousled appearance, she was… breathtaking.

Stefan was across the room before she could blink, one hand sliding along the bare skin of her shoulders as the other grasped her head and pulled her lips to his. She sighed into his mouth, not hesitating to wrap her arms around him and pull him close, her nails scraping the nape of his neck as he bit her lower lip. Of the two of them, Elise had never been the one to play the fool. She had known from the beginning there was something between them and it was only now that Stefan was handing himself over to what that something could be.

He pulled away, slowly and tentatively so she'd know he wasn't running. His fingers continued to grasp her body as he moved his hips against hers, drawing them into an easy sway as the music took them away from Mystic Falls and things they didn't understand. They moved aimlessly, her feet digging into the carpet as he twirled her and pulled her close, lips brushing along her skin as those mossy green eyes of hers fell shut and her fingers clutched his jacket.

"Imagine if this had been us in the twenties," she whispered before kissing away all his arguments and breathing into him when he opened his mouth to her kisses. His hands clutched her waist, fabric bunching in his hands and he could feel her silky bare thigh brush against him she pressed herself closer and pulled him back all at once. They stumbled and he braced himself above her when they landed on the bed, music and dancing forgotten as his kissed the length of her neck trying to erase the memory of the gruesome bite he'd left their decades earlier. Elise spoke in breathy pants as she writhed under his touch as his fingers danced along her bare legs inching the hem of her dress higher and higher. She slid from it with a practiced ease he didn't want to think of and her hands divested him of his jacket and shirt before he could kiss her again.

"Elise, wait." His voice was unsure, thick and ragged as his hands stilled and her bare chest came in contact with his own. If his heart still worked, it would be hammering in his chest and he could almost recall what that felt like.

"I'm not a child, Stefan," she protested, hands moving across his back and pulling him flush against her. He groaned into her neck when she hooked a leg around his waist and ground her hips into his own. If she kept this up, he'd soon be seeing stars.

"It's not that," he said and then stopped because he didn't know how to finish such a statement. He didn't know how to explain his insecurities to her.

Elise pulled away, pressing Stefan away from her until she could see his downcast eyes and feel his shaky breath fan across her skin. That's when she saw it, saw the thing Katherine had overlooked when she began her Salvatore game. Stefan wasn't some man ready to be played and used. He was just a boy. A teenager forced to grow up too quickly. Elise untangled herself from him and picked up his discarded shirt, pulling it over her body before returning to his side, fingers brushing his hair away from his forehead as she rested against his chest.

"Stay the night," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. Stefan let out an unnecessary breath before relaxing into her embrace. His kissed her hair, lips ghosting over her forehead before he rested his head against the pillow and stared at the ceiling.

**a/n: **If you were hoping for sexy time… sorry, you're going to be disappointed. I don't know why, but writing sexy time for Stelise [ship name] just seemed awkward. I couldn't do it. They're too cute and innocent and I'd have to write a bajillion more chapters before I felt as though their relationship could take that kind of exposure. Respecting their privacy. Have some thoughts about that? Fave, flame, or faint.

oxox


	7. Chapter 7

_This is for the ones who stand_

_For the ones who try again_

"Stefan," Elena said, "I don't think this human blood diet is working." His eyes darkened, but before he could comment, Elise was there, a waif protecting him with eyes flashing and a grim expression on her face.

"Elena," she said sternly, "Butt out. Stefan is a vampire and that is something you do not understand. If you can't offer supportive comments, I'd prefer you'd offer none at all."

Everyone had been wary to varying degrees upon Elise's introduction into their lives. Damon and Alaric were unconcerned, happy Stefan was moving on and not really thinking much of the young vampire beyond that. Caroline, after a few frosty moments, had warmed up to the girl who could verbally spar with Klaus and shared Caroline's distaste for his blonde sister. Elena was the only one holding out and refusing to welcome Elise into her life. She didn't like the change that was coming over Stefan and turning him into a person she wasn't familiar with. She did like that Elise and Caroline were bonding over things Elena would never share with her best friend. If she was honest, she didn't like being displaced. For once, not everything revolved around Elena Gilbert.

"You're rude," Elena said, but Elise was there with a retort.

"And you're judgmental," she said, "And indecisive and selfish and very unsupportive of Stefan's endeavor to be a normal vampire." The doppleganger's mouth snapped shut and she stomped away as Elise returned to the cup of tea she'd been fixing before Ms. Gilbert stopped by and mussed up the otherwise peaceful day.

"You didn't have to do that," Stefan argued, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him and sipped her tea, eyeing the doorway Elena had just disappeared through.

"Someone needs to protect you," she said, "And I don't mind doing it."

"Why?" His breath was hot against her ear and she felt herself sink against him even more when his hand slipped beneath the fabric of her shirt and his fingers spread across her stomach. He kissed her neck, her head involuntarily lolling to the side as he carefully nipped along the smooth expanse of skin. His whispered his question against her skin and she had to set her tea down before she dropped it.

"Almost a century," she said, "And you're just now wondering? Do you really not know me?"

He let her go when she walked away. But not for long. Eventually, he went looking for her and it was then he realized what she'd known all along.

**a/n: **I don't want anyone thinking I hate Elena, because I don't. I do, however, think she needs a bit of a wake up call. Oh well. Fave, flame, faint, as usual.

oxox.


	8. Chapter 8

_For the ones who need a hand_

_For the ones who think they can_

"I love you," she whispered against his lips sometime later as partygoers waited with anticipation for the new year. He pressed his lips against hers and she fell backwards against the floor, pulling him with her as his fingers traced her ribs. He pinned her against the floor, her gown tangling around her legs and she laughed when he kissed the ticklish spot behind her ear.

"I love you." He pressed the sentiment into her shoulder and she cradled his head in her hands, pressing kisses along the length of his face. Stefan kissed her and pulled her into his arms, rolling onto his back and allowing her head to settle on his chest as they both looked out the window where fireworks were exploding. Downstairs, cheers of _"Happy New Year!" _rang out and the duo's fingers tangled as the lights of the fireworks danced over their skin.

"This is how it should have been," he said, "In the twenties. This is how we should have been." Elise smiled at him and kissed him again, tasting the lingering flavor of the human blood he'd consumed later in the evening from one of Klaus' willing donors who had walked away complimenting Stefan on how he was such a respectful and gentle feeder. To think this was the man who'd once been a ripper.

"This is how we are," she said, mussing his hair and laughing when he tried to be stern, "This is how we'll always be."

Somewhere, a clock was striking midnight and in that moment, Stefan remembered what it was like to be nervous with a heart that beat as Elise led him away from the window and towards the bed, kissing wordless promises into his flesh that they both intended to keep.

It was a new year.

_It comes and goes in waves_

_I am only led to wonder why_

_It comes and goes in waves_

**a/n: **New year, new start and on that note, I'm going to stop ranting so you all can fave, flame, or faint.

Thanks for reading.

oxox.

Iris


End file.
